Four sets of studies are proposed which are directed at the investigation of the cognitive structures used by parents and other socialization agents in organizing and interpreting the behavior stream of the child and in applying culturally-approved rules for response. Research on socialization has generally neglected to consider this important set of variables in the adult-child socialization interaction. In study Series I attention and labeling will be investigated by asking socializing adults to respond in various ways to filmed and videotaped sequences of children in interaction. Study Series II is concerned with cross-cultural and class differences in implicit theories of child personality and behavior. One of the two studies in this series will also provide a replication of our first research project. Study Series III will provide a further test of the hypothesis derived from our working model that variations in the role relationship will effect cognitive structuring. In this case the implicit theories of child personality held by teachers will be compared with those of parents. Study Series IV will test the proposition suggested by our model that parents' cognitive structuring of child behavior will influence the way their children structure the same behavior.